What is therapeutic massage?

Stressed out? Recently injured? Been in a car accident? Have your shoulder muscles turned to rocks or do you feel so jumpy you could crawl out of your own skin? Are your joints and muscles sore? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone could smooth away your tension with the touch of their hands?

Research shows that simple kneading and stroking of a good massage can make a huge difference in your physical and mental health. Just one session can reduce stress and help you get a good night’s sleep. Regular sessions can ease chronic pain, speed recovery from many sports injuries, and improve concentration. Massage affects the muscles and other soft tissues throughout the body and loosens contracted, shortened, hardened muscles. The oxygen capacity of the body’s blood can increase 10-15% after a massage. All of these benefits combine to improve physical health and quality of life.

Swedish – An all-around with massage and manipulation of soft tissue that relieves stress and tension while enhancing blood and lymph circulation. Swedish massage is an ideal introduction to peacefulness and benefits of massage therapy.

Deep Tissue – As the name suggests this type of massage addresses the deeper layer of the muscle tissue. Through strong finger, knuckle, forearm, elbow pressure, deep tissue massage can aid in relief of the chronic tension. It is strongly recommended for old injury, trigger point and improve your posture.

Medical – Designed to focus on specific medical conditions or for areas of discomfort. Medical Massage is key in helping to speed and healing process for those with muscle tear, sprains, nerve impingement and chronic low back pain or shoulder pain this treatment is extremely effective. This type of massage is especially important for patient who has been in an auto accident and work injury. Did you know medical massage is covered under auto accident and work injury insurances? If you have any question don’t hesitate to call our office.

Shiatsu – This traditional Japanese massage involve finger pressure with varying straight at the body Meridian (energy) point. Shiatsu may also include stretching and rotation of the joint to balance one’s physical energy.

Sports – This massage is great before or after an event for warm up, loosening your muscle or to achieve greater flexibility. The sports massage is wonderful for those who wish to flush out lactic acid, speeding up recovery time or improve performance.

How does it work?

For starters, all that kneading and stroking allows your muscles to relax, which sends a message to your brain to produce fewer stress hormones. Massage also improves blood flow to the brain. Massage can ease chronic pain as well by triggering the release of enkephalins, the body’s natural painkillers.

What is lymphatic massage?

Lymphatic massage, also called lymphatic drainage or manual lymph drainage, is a technique developed in Germany for treatment of lymphedema, an accumulation of fluid that can occur after lymph nodes are removed during surgery, most often a mastectomy for breast cancer. Frequently, diabetic and pre-diabetic patients have lymphedema in their arms and legs. Lymphedema can also be present at birth or develop at puberty or during adulthood. This type, known as primary lymphedema, can affect as many as four limbs and/or other parts of the body.

What conditions is lymphatic massage used for?

Up to 25 percent of breast cancer patients whose surgery includes removal of lymph nodes in the area of the armpit eventually develop lymphedema. The condition can also occur in the legs or other parts of the body if lymph nodes are removed in the course of other types of surgery – for melanoma, colon, prostate or bladder cancer, for example – or are damaged by radiation treatment, infection or trauma. Symptoms include swelling and pain near the site of the removed or damaged lymph nodes.

What should one expect on a visit to a practitioner of lymphatic massage?

A lymphatic massage session for women who develop lymphedema after surgery for breast cancer starts with light massage on the surface of the skin of the neck. The therapist gently rubs, strokes, taps or pushes the skin in directions that follow the structure of the lymphatic system so that accumulated lymph fluid can drain through proper channels. Lymphatic drainage is very gentle, is not painful and doesn’t have a stimulating effect. Each session lasts from 45 to 60 minutes, and therapy usually is performed once a day four or five times a week for two to four weeks. One study showed that the greatest reduction in swelling from lymphedema occurs in the first week of treatment and stabilizes during the second week.

Emilios Massage, LLC

Shiatsu